Author's note: Hi, everyone! There seems to be a strange thing happening with the reviews. They're all the same name except for one...and that's Dracou! Aren't you special! And thanks for being my first reviewer on this one! You write wonderfully! Doesn't she, Thomas?
Thomas: *whistles innocently*
Shelly: *pops him on the side of the head* Be nice, Thomas!
Thomas: I didn't say anything!
Shelly: It's what you didn't say that got you in trouble.Now you be nice to Kenji.
Thomas: Sorry! ^^;;
Shelly: All right, now that that's over with, thanks for reviewing! I'm glad you all enjoyed it! So here's the next installment!
Starsword by Shelly
CHAPTER TWO
The evening sun's rays stretched across the hills, bathing everything in its luminous golden light as she neared the capitol of the Guylos Empire, or at least what was left of it. The city was a flurry of activity with all the repairs and clean-up being done after the massive destruction caused by the Deathsaur. Zoids from the Empire and Republic alike helped each other, their petty differences forgotten as the entire war had only been a front, masking Prozen's greater ambition for power. The biggest pieces of debris had been cleared, hauled away on great trailers led by an army of Gustavs, and now the smaller pieces were being collected and sent off as well.
As a precaution, all traffic had to check themselves through several guarded points into the city, and she stopped as commanded to identify herself to the soldier. He asked for her identification, and she jumped from her zoid to flash her military ID card at him, allowing him a few moments to verify who she was.
"You are cleared to enter, Lieutenant Starsword," he informed her. "At the Emperor's request, all zoids are to be checked as well upon entering, just to make sure that there's nothing amiss with it."
She eyed him sternly. "Surely, you're not suggesting that I'm carrying anything that can be used against the Empire," she returned calmly. "I have dedicated my life to the service of the Empire, as did my father, General Remik Starsword."
The soldier's eyes widened as he recognizd the name since the General was well known and admired before his death many years ago, being that he had attained the rank of General at the young age of twenty-six. "I apologize, Lieutenant, but the orders came from the Emperor himself. I cannot disobey a direct order from His Majesty."
"As you shouldn't, soldier," came another voice. "Which leads to the question of why anyone would question that order, unless that person has less than honorable intentions for being here."
She glanced up to see who the smooth voice belonged to, and her eyes widened a bit as she looked upon a pair of brothers she had not seen for many years. Anyone would know them immediately from their unnerving green eyes and shock of blond hair as being none other than the Shubaltz brothers, a name that carried just as much weight in the military as her own did. It had been a little less than ten years since she had last seen them, and they had been a couple of gangly teenagers then. But now it seemed that they both had grown into responsible adults...or at least Karl had. For some reason she couldn't imagine Thomas ever being grown up. Maybe it was his insecure nature or boyish cuteness as a result of it, she was unsure why.
But when she looked into the older brother's eyes, she felt a familiar feeling resurface that she had thought long gone. Years ago, she had had a crush on Karl. He had been cute then, and it was obvious that he would grow up to be a heartbreaker one day, but never did she guess that he would look this handsome. She had to fight to remember how to breathe after gazing into his green gaze.
Karl wondered why she was staring at him so intently, but as his gaze swept over her, realization swept over him as he recognized where he had seen those fuschia colored eyes before. "Lauren, is it you?" he asked, forgetting all military protocol for once in his surprise at seeing her after all these years.
Thomas seemed to be more excited to see her as he immediately knew who she was, and quickly stepped forward to catch her in a bear hug. "Lauren, it's so good to see you!" he exclaimed.
She had to fight to breathe this time as his grip threatened to cut off her air supply. "Thomas Richard Shubaltz, put me down this instant!" she cried. He released her, and she coughed as air returned to her lungs.
He stood there with one hand behind his head, an embarrassed smile upon his face. "Sorry about that! It's been so long since we last saw one another. What brings you here?" he asked.
She nearly fell to the ground after hearing the question, and she reached up to grab him in a headlock as she dug her knuckles into his head, giving him a noogie like she used to when she lived with them. "Why else would I be here, you dolt! The same reason why everyone else is here!"
The soldier stood by Colonel Shubaltz, wide-eyed with a sweatdrop running down the side of his face. "Umm, Colonel..."
Karl couldn't help but chuckle to himself. It appears that not even years could ease their constant wars with one another. "It's all right, they've always been like this," he assured him before walking over to them. "All right, you two, that's enough. I believe that the war's supposed to be over?" he suggested.
They split apart, Lauren still eying Thomas with a menacing glare, who stood there looking a bit disheveled. Karl sighed, thankful that the show was over. "Lieutenant Starsword, why were you arguing about having your zoid checked?"
She snapped to attention upon hearing him address her so formally. "Well...you see...umm...the zoid doesn't take too kindly to having someone else inside the cockpit. And it would be defeating the purpose to have me check it for you."
"Oh, I'm sure that it wouldn't mind a minor inspection," Thomas argued, walking over to Night Striker and climbing up into the cockpit.
Lauren's eyes widened a bit. "Wait, Thomas!" she called up.
He looked around him at the controls, looking for all the world like a kid in a candy store. "Wow, look at all this equipment! I've never seen anything like it!"
The controls flared to life. "Commencing check of DNA..." came a voice.
Doubt crept into his eyes. "What the...? Lauren?"
"Thomas, get out of there right now!" she shouted.
"DNA found incompatible...ejecting now."
"Oh, crap!" Thomas exclaimed, screaming bloody murder as he was launched from the cockpit to land in an unceremonious heap at Lauren's feet. "Ughh..."
Karl wore a wide-eyed expression as he looked down at his brother then at Lauren, who had covered her face with her hands and was now peeking out through her fingers. "Would you care to explain, Lieutenant?" he asked calmly.
She could do nothing else except smile sheepishly up at him before glancing down at Thomas. "You all right, Thomas?"
**************
Hee-hee! I love picking on Thomas! Although this was Schala's idea.
Thomas: You mean it was her idea to treat me so terribly? *sob*
Shelly: No, actually it was my idea to have it happen to you. BWAHAHAHA!!!
Thomas: Why me?! Nobody loves me!
Shelly: Thanks for reading! C-ya!
Thomas: *whistles innocently*
Shelly: *pops him on the side of the head* Be nice, Thomas!
Thomas: I didn't say anything!
Shelly: It's what you didn't say that got you in trouble.Now you be nice to Kenji.
Thomas: Sorry! ^^;;
Shelly: All right, now that that's over with, thanks for reviewing! I'm glad you all enjoyed it! So here's the next installment!
Starsword by Shelly
CHAPTER TWO
The evening sun's rays stretched across the hills, bathing everything in its luminous golden light as she neared the capitol of the Guylos Empire, or at least what was left of it. The city was a flurry of activity with all the repairs and clean-up being done after the massive destruction caused by the Deathsaur. Zoids from the Empire and Republic alike helped each other, their petty differences forgotten as the entire war had only been a front, masking Prozen's greater ambition for power. The biggest pieces of debris had been cleared, hauled away on great trailers led by an army of Gustavs, and now the smaller pieces were being collected and sent off as well.
As a precaution, all traffic had to check themselves through several guarded points into the city, and she stopped as commanded to identify herself to the soldier. He asked for her identification, and she jumped from her zoid to flash her military ID card at him, allowing him a few moments to verify who she was.
"You are cleared to enter, Lieutenant Starsword," he informed her. "At the Emperor's request, all zoids are to be checked as well upon entering, just to make sure that there's nothing amiss with it."
She eyed him sternly. "Surely, you're not suggesting that I'm carrying anything that can be used against the Empire," she returned calmly. "I have dedicated my life to the service of the Empire, as did my father, General Remik Starsword."
The soldier's eyes widened as he recognizd the name since the General was well known and admired before his death many years ago, being that he had attained the rank of General at the young age of twenty-six. "I apologize, Lieutenant, but the orders came from the Emperor himself. I cannot disobey a direct order from His Majesty."
"As you shouldn't, soldier," came another voice. "Which leads to the question of why anyone would question that order, unless that person has less than honorable intentions for being here."
She glanced up to see who the smooth voice belonged to, and her eyes widened a bit as she looked upon a pair of brothers she had not seen for many years. Anyone would know them immediately from their unnerving green eyes and shock of blond hair as being none other than the Shubaltz brothers, a name that carried just as much weight in the military as her own did. It had been a little less than ten years since she had last seen them, and they had been a couple of gangly teenagers then. But now it seemed that they both had grown into responsible adults...or at least Karl had. For some reason she couldn't imagine Thomas ever being grown up. Maybe it was his insecure nature or boyish cuteness as a result of it, she was unsure why.
But when she looked into the older brother's eyes, she felt a familiar feeling resurface that she had thought long gone. Years ago, she had had a crush on Karl. He had been cute then, and it was obvious that he would grow up to be a heartbreaker one day, but never did she guess that he would look this handsome. She had to fight to remember how to breathe after gazing into his green gaze.
Karl wondered why she was staring at him so intently, but as his gaze swept over her, realization swept over him as he recognized where he had seen those fuschia colored eyes before. "Lauren, is it you?" he asked, forgetting all military protocol for once in his surprise at seeing her after all these years.
Thomas seemed to be more excited to see her as he immediately knew who she was, and quickly stepped forward to catch her in a bear hug. "Lauren, it's so good to see you!" he exclaimed.
She had to fight to breathe this time as his grip threatened to cut off her air supply. "Thomas Richard Shubaltz, put me down this instant!" she cried. He released her, and she coughed as air returned to her lungs.
He stood there with one hand behind his head, an embarrassed smile upon his face. "Sorry about that! It's been so long since we last saw one another. What brings you here?" he asked.
She nearly fell to the ground after hearing the question, and she reached up to grab him in a headlock as she dug her knuckles into his head, giving him a noogie like she used to when she lived with them. "Why else would I be here, you dolt! The same reason why everyone else is here!"
The soldier stood by Colonel Shubaltz, wide-eyed with a sweatdrop running down the side of his face. "Umm, Colonel..."
Karl couldn't help but chuckle to himself. It appears that not even years could ease their constant wars with one another. "It's all right, they've always been like this," he assured him before walking over to them. "All right, you two, that's enough. I believe that the war's supposed to be over?" he suggested.
They split apart, Lauren still eying Thomas with a menacing glare, who stood there looking a bit disheveled. Karl sighed, thankful that the show was over. "Lieutenant Starsword, why were you arguing about having your zoid checked?"
She snapped to attention upon hearing him address her so formally. "Well...you see...umm...the zoid doesn't take too kindly to having someone else inside the cockpit. And it would be defeating the purpose to have me check it for you."
"Oh, I'm sure that it wouldn't mind a minor inspection," Thomas argued, walking over to Night Striker and climbing up into the cockpit.
Lauren's eyes widened a bit. "Wait, Thomas!" she called up.
He looked around him at the controls, looking for all the world like a kid in a candy store. "Wow, look at all this equipment! I've never seen anything like it!"
The controls flared to life. "Commencing check of DNA..." came a voice.
Doubt crept into his eyes. "What the...? Lauren?"
"Thomas, get out of there right now!" she shouted.
"DNA found incompatible...ejecting now."
"Oh, crap!" Thomas exclaimed, screaming bloody murder as he was launched from the cockpit to land in an unceremonious heap at Lauren's feet. "Ughh..."
Karl wore a wide-eyed expression as he looked down at his brother then at Lauren, who had covered her face with her hands and was now peeking out through her fingers. "Would you care to explain, Lieutenant?" he asked calmly.
She could do nothing else except smile sheepishly up at him before glancing down at Thomas. "You all right, Thomas?"
**************
Hee-hee! I love picking on Thomas! Although this was Schala's idea.
Thomas: You mean it was her idea to treat me so terribly? *sob*
Shelly: No, actually it was my idea to have it happen to you. BWAHAHAHA!!!
Thomas: Why me?! Nobody loves me!
Shelly: Thanks for reading! C-ya!
